Ignition apparatus



0. F. CONKLIN.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9, 1916.

' 1,354,888, Patented Oct. 5,1920.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER F. CONKLIN. or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To REMY ELECTRIC COM- PANY. or ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

To 117] whom it may FOHWIN Be it known that I. Omvnn F. CONKLIN, a citizen of the Fnitcd States, residing at Detroit. in the county of Wayne and State of. Michigan. have invented a certain new ratns for internal combustion engines. and

particularly to certain features of construction of the circuit breaker or timer.

This invention relates mrticularly to the manner of mounting or supporting the 5 breaker contacts. which. in accordance with the present invention. are carried by an ad-. justable breaker plate which is mounted in the base of the circuit breaker casing and has attached thereto the adjusting lever for ad- 20. vancing or retarding the spark.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction which is'simple and durable and admits of easyadjustment of the breaker plate to advance or retard the spark without twisting the distributor con ductors or turning the entire breaker casing. Still further. the invention aims to support and mount the breaker plate carrying the breaker contacts so that it is held yieldingly against the base of the circuit breaker casing in such a manner that dust and dirt is excluded from the casing by the plate itself. while at the same time a sufficient freedom of movement is permitted to enable the plate to be readily adjusted when desired. A still further object is to bring the primary conductor or conductors into the casing and to attach the shifting lever to the plate in such a way that the openings thus formed in the casing areclosed by the plate itself.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described'in the specification and set forth in the appended claims. v

In the accompanying sheet of drawings. Figure 1 is a sectional view through the cit cuit breaker constructed in accordance with my invention. the distributer cap being shown by dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the circuit breaker. certain parts being removed and the section being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of 5 Fi 3' Fi 3 is a view lookim toward Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 5, 1920.

Application filed April 19, 1916. Serial No. 92,112.

the bottom of the circuit breaker casing; Fig. l is a vertical sectional View similar to Figs. land 2, the section being taken'sub stantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an inside view. or view looking into and toward the base of the circuit breaker, a portion .of the breaker 'plate being broken away.

In the drawings, 10 represents a cupshaped circuit breaker casing into which extends a shaft 11 adapted to ope-rate the circuit breaker and also, if desired, the distributer segment. the distributor cap. being shown by dotted lines at 12. As the distributer forms no part of the resent invention,

it is not shown in detail. his shaft is provided with a cam 13 which in this case is designed to positively open the circuit breaker or contact device, which includes a stationary contact 14 carried by a post or stud 14 and a movable contact 15 carried by a breaker lever 16 which is pivoted at 17. The invention does not reside in the details of the contact mechanism and the latter will, therefore. not be described in further detail. Thebreaker lever 16 is mounted directly upon breaker plate or disk -18. which grounds contact 15 upon casing'lO. The post H projects from a base 11'" which is mounted upon plate 18 but is insulated therefrom by strip 14 of non-conducting material. It will be observed that this plate is located' in the bottom of the casing 10 and is mounted to turn on an annular bearing flange or shoulder 19 projecting upwardly from the base of the casing at the center thereof. the plate having a central open- I ing which has a close but free working fit on the flange or shoulder 19.

In the base of the casing are two arcshaped slots or openings 20, 21, which are substantially diametrically opposite each other. one of these openings being adapted to accommodate connecting means such as screws or studs '22 by which the plate 18 is connected to an adjusting lever 23 adapted to turn the plate and the contacts carried by it to advance or retard the spark. and the other opening 21 being adapted to accommodate one or more primary leads or conductors 24. and also a holding screw or stud 25. The .conductor 24 shown in the drawing is electrically connected to'the base 14 of post 14". but is insulated from plate 18. By reason of its attachment to the base H",

' the conductor 24 is mechanically fastened to? plate '18, so as to 'be moved whenp'late 18 is moved. The plate is held 'yieldingly' against the base of the c'asin by two dished springs 26; 27, the former of which is elon gated or arc-shaped, and entirely covers the opening 20 the spring 26 being between the .inner end of the adjusting lever 23 and; the

a bottom wall of the casing, The other spring '10- v the casing overa narrow portion of the slot 27 is circular and engages the underside of '21 through .which "passes the holding screw the plate: 18, wliilefthe lowerends are proor" stud 25, and the primary conductor or conductors. The upper or inner ends of the studs 22 and are preferably fastened to vided with nutsby which the parts are held in assembled relation and the position of which determines the pressure with which the plate 18. is held against the inner side of the based the casing. Preferably the inner side of the base of the casing grooved, forming within and around the outside of the elongated slots 20 and 21 two annular bearing surfaces which are-engaged I by the under surfaceof/the breaker plate.

l cas ing and is yieldingly connected therewith,

. 'With thisconstruction the ,breaker plate is held yieldingly against the bottom of-the but insuch a manner that it can be readily adjusted to advance or retard the spark without turning the entire casingortwistconnection is made with theadjusting lever and through which, the primaryconductors extend is avery vention. In practice, the circuit breaker is generally arranged 'vertically, and for 'that reason the end wall of thecasing-js, for-convenience, described as the bottom of the casing.

important feature of the in- 'However, as is obvious, thebreaker may be supported in other than a vertical position.

{While I have shown only'the preferred construction, I do not desire'to be confined to the exact details shown, as certain -changes canbe made without departing what I claim, is

from the spirit and scope: of my invention. Having thus described myv invention,

1. In a circuit breaker, "a casing, an engine driv'enshaft in saidcasing, a cam on said. shaft, a pair ofTcircuit-breake'r, con tacts, one of said contacts being movable relative to the other when ac'tu'ated'by said i j earn, a breaker plate in the baseofv said casing and carrying said contacts, aspark-adjusting member connected'by an operating ing.

connecmonwiththe plate, the bottom of easing having arrjop'ening between the'center and the periphery through which the oper' said ating connection to the adjusting member extends, said operating ,connection holding the breaker ;.plate against the base of said casing, and supporting the spark-adjusting member.

Inla circuit breaker, a casing, an-engine driven shaft in said casing, a cam on said shaft, a pair of circuitlbreaker contacts, one of" said contacts being movable jrelatively to the other. when actuated by said cam, a breaker plate journaled in stationary portions of the casing and carrying the said contacts, a spark-adjustlng member with connecting means for operatii'ely connecting it to'the plate to oscillate the same,

the bottom of said casing having an opening at a point between the center and the periphery of the casing through which the operatmg connection to the adjusting member extends, and saidbreakerplate being adapted to close the said opening, and held against said bodyv by said connecting means, and supporting. the spark-adjusting member.

3.111 a circuit breaker, a casing having 'an opening therein, a contact device in said cas- 1ng,"sh1ft1ng means for shifting said contact device relative tofsaid casing to vary the 1gn1t1on timlng, means for supporting a conductor independent of said shifting means, and a flexible conductor directly connected at one end with. said supporting nieans and contact device through said open- 4.-. In a circuit breaker, a casinghaving openings in the end wall thereof, engine operable circuit breaking means including an engine ,driven -member and. a movable.

mounted plate carrying contact provisions, an adjusting lever operatively connected to the plate through'one of said openings, and

one or more conductors extending through another of said openings and mechanically connected with said plate, said conductors being constructed so as to permit movement of the movable plate.

5. In a circuit breaker, a casing, breaker contacts, a breaker plate mounted on the interior of the casing atthe endthereof, a

sparkadjusting lever connected to said plate yieldable connecting .means which also assist in holding theplate against the casing end wall, and one ormore primary conductors mechanically fastened to the plate, said conductor or conductors and the connecting means between the plate and leverpassing through the end wall of the casing, and

yieldable means for holding the breakerplate against the end wall of the casing.

)6; In 'a. circuit breaker, a casing, a breaker plate mounted on the interior thereof at the'bottom'o'r end of the casing, a spark adgusting-lever and oneor more primary leads or conductors mechanically fastened to said plate, said conductor or conductors and the ingly against the end wall of the casing, one

of said spring inembers forming part of the,

fastening means between the plate andthe spark-adjusting lever.

7. In a circuit breaker, a casing, abreaker plate mounted on the interior thereof at the bottom or end of the casing. a spark adjusting lever and one or more primary leads or conductors mechanically fastened to the plate, said conductor or conductors and the fastening means between the. plate and lever passing through the end wall of the casing, and dished or spring members located exteriorly of and engaging the end wall of-the casing for holding the breaker plate yieldingly against the end wall of'the casing, one of said spring members forming part of the ,fasteningmeans between the plate and the spark-adj usting lever.

8. Ina circuit breaker, a casing having on the end wall thereof an inwardly projecting annular shoulder, a breaker plate mounted on said shoulder, circuit breaker contacts carried by said plate, means comprising screws or studs and spring members for holding the plate yieldingly against the bottom wall of the casing, lever connected to the plate by studs and spring members, the bottom wall of the casing having openings which are closed or covered by said-plate, said openings accommodating the screws or studs and; primary conductors adapted to-be connected to one or more of the contacts.

9. In a circuit breaker. a casing having in the bottom or end wall thereof an inwardly projecting annular shoulder, a breaker plate mounted on .said shoulder, circuit breaker contacts carried by said plate, means comprising screws or studs and spring members for holding the plate yieldingly against the bottom wall of the casing, a spark adjusting lever connected to the plate by studs and spring members, the bottom wall of the casing having openings which are closed or covered by said plate, said openings accommodating the screws or studs and one or more primary conductors adapted to be connected to the contacts, said spring members comprising dished spring plates on the exteriorof and engaging the end wall of the casing. Q 1 f 10. In a circuit breaker, a casing having an opening therein, timing means including an ignitionconta'ct member, meansfor adjusting said member, connecting means extending through said opening. and a resilient member extending over said opening and serving as a dust-excluding means while a spark adjusting permitting movement of said connecting means in said opening.

11. In a circuit breaker, a casing having an apertured end wall, a breaker plate and a breaker plate rocking device mechanically connected with said plate through separate apertures in the apertured end wall of the casing.

12. In a circuit breaker, acasing having an opening therein, a contact member in said casing, a contact support. means for shiftlng said. contact support relative to said casing, a flexible conductor electrically connected with said contact member through said opening, and a resilient member holding said contact support against the casing and located over said opening.

13. In a circuit breaker. a casing, a revolubl v mounted breaker plate at one end of said casing, contacts supported by the breaker plate, a stud fixed to the plate and extending through a. slot at one end of the casing on one side of the central axis thereof. a spark control lever supported by said studfor adjusting the position of the breaker plate, and a cable for electrically connecting the circuit breaker with other electrical devices, said cable extending through another slot in the same end of the casing and mechanically secured to the plate.

* 14. In a circuit breaker, a casing. a

breaker plate and adjusting means mounted at one end thereof. breaker contact-s supported by the plate. and a flexible cable for electrically connecting the circuit' breaker with other electrical devices, said cable extending through an? opening in said casingand being attached mechanically to the breaker plate. said cable by its free flexing permitting movement of said plate.

15. In a circuit breaker. a cup-shaped casing having integral side and bottom walls, the bottom wall formed with a shaft bearing. an engine driven shaft extending through said bearing into the cup-shaped part of the casing, a second bearing formed upon the bottom wall of said casing. a breaker plate journaled insaid second bearing. a cam on said shaft. a pair of circuit-breaker contacts on said plate. one movable relative to the other whenactuated by saidcam. plate shifting means connected with said plate through the bottom wallof the casing. and a conductor passing through'the bottom wall of the casing and mechanically connected with the plate and serving electrically to connect directly the circuit breaker with other elecpermitting the r if,

formed with two irate slots a opposite carrying at their .other ends dished springs which bear against the outer face of the'bot torn of the'ca-sing, and holdth breaker plate. yieldingly against the inner face of the bot tom of the casing. I

M portions of'the bottorn thereof, a breaker plate in said covering both said slots,

,17 In a circuit breaker, "a inc-lud ing a bottom wall having a bearing for a cam shaft and a second bearing concentric with the cam shaft bearing"; a breaker plate supporting contact elements journaled on the second bearing, and means disposed oppositely with respect to the bearings for yieldingly holding the breaker plate 'inposition' within the casing;

18. In a circuit breaker, a casinghaving openings in the end wall thereof, a,br'eake-r plate mounted in the casing and covering said openings, a contact carried by said breakerplate, .an engine driven canl operating said contact, an adjusting lever opera: tively connected with theplate through one of said openings and a flexibleconductor mechanically connected with said plate through the otherof said openings, said 0011- studs extendifi'gthrough said slots and con- ,,.nected at the one end with's'aid plate and duetori by its free flexing permitting the movement of said breaker plate.

-19.- In a circuit breaker, a casing having openings in the end wall thereof, a breaker plate mounted in the -casing and covering said openings, a studjprojecting from the breaker plate and extending through one of said openings, breaker contactsmounted on said plate,-an engine driven cam for actuating one of said contacts, an adjusting lever engaging with said stud and a: flexible .con-

, duetor mechanically connected with said plate and electrically connected with the Y other contact, said conductor by its freecfiexing permitting the movementiof said breaker 'p1ate.-'

testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signaturein the presence of two witnesses,

o R comm,

Witnesses: f r g E. Brannon, t 1 T Fmnxmlv'PiMcDmmornJr, 

